Council at the Hyperion
by mistress mischief
Summary: part four of the season 7 alternative


Council at the Hyperion  
  
Angelus was getting bored. He hated cages. Not the trapped feeling, but the fact that he was missing all the fun. And he knew he was. Endless night, defenseless humans, and not a single champion to stand in the way, especially considering he was the champion. He needed someone gullible, like that girl Fred to let him out. He lapsed into daydreams of what he would do as soon as he got out. A few hours later he was startled into consciousness by a new development upstairs. ~*~ "So you decided here was a safe place for a throng of teenage girls, Mr. Giles?" Wesley was shocked at the scene before. While he had been discussing strategy of dealing with Angelus with the rest of the group, Buffy had showed up. With Giles, Willow, Xander, the strange demon girl, a vampire, another vampire, the Slayer's sister, who Wesley certainly didn't remember, a worthless geek, and about 15 teenage girls. "Of course. We need Angel, scone boy." "Scone boy?" Xander still didn't like Wesley, and was intrigued by the scone boy name. "Yes, Xander. I once remarked that Wesley has the emotional intelligence of a blueberry scone." "I remember, Rupert. But as to your need for Angel, um, how should I put it?" "Angel has left the building." Gunn supplied. He didn't know any of these people, but wanted to be in the conversation. "What do you mean?" Willow asked. "We brought back Angelus." Fred answered. Buffy had been surveying the hotel weapons rack, but whipped around in fury. "You what? Did you really do such an idiotic thing as remove Angel's soul?" She advanced on the LA crowd in anger, the Sunnydale crowd following. Genevieve and Spike watched the scene. "C'mon luv." "Where?" asked Spike as the Assassin left the room. "We need to pay a call on our friend Angelus." ~*~ Angelus looked up at the stairs as soon as he heard the footsteps. His vampiric hearing told him two people, not of the LA crowd. Vampiric senses told him Spike was one of his visitors, and the other. "Hello Liam. Lovely to see you again." "Genevieve. Pleasant surprise. Spike."  
  
"Angelus. Heard you were back." "And so I am." "Now, they say they removed your soul to get information about this Beast thing. And we've all come to town because the First Evil decided it was high time to destroy the world. Any connection?" "I don't know. Probably. Not that I care. As far as I can tell, everything that's been done here has been for me. Now I just need to get out of here. Would you be a sweetheart?" Angel gestured to the lock on the doors. "I don't think so. We needs information. And no one upstairs knows how to get info out of ye without offering up their body for yer wicked pleasure." "How did you know Cordelia had done that?" " I didn't." "I figured she'd be the one." Mentioned Spike. He'd taken to leaning against the stairs watching Genevieve and Angelus. It was always fun to watch them fight. "That sweet little Southern gal is still too pure. Maybe pure isn't the right word, judging from the way Scone boy and Shaft keep looking at her." Angel glared at Spike. He was disappointed that he had fallen for so obvious a trick. "So what do you want?" "We want what you know, but won't tell." "I don't know anything. I've been trapped by that damn soul for so long, I don't know what's going on." Angel leaned against his cage walls, prepared to brood. He wouldn't admit it, but the soul had had more of an influence over Angelus than he would like. What was this brooding crap? "Doesn't stop me." Spike said. "What?" "I've got a soul, but I still know a fair amount about the First's plans. Course, that's probably 'cause First's plans usually involve me killing people." Angel was somewhat surprised. "You've got a soul?" "Can't you smell it?" "I guess it's your poet boy personality. I didn't really notice." Genevieve stepped back as Spike moved forward to face Angelus. Spike had always tried to distance himself from Angel. Angelus had always had everything: all the girls, the power, and the fame. Spike had always been in the shadow of Angelus, and now it had come time to fight. Drusilla was gone, Buffy wasn't really an issue, but it was a battle of wills now. Genevieve knew it was a long time coming, and she couldn't get involved, but she couldn't leave.  
  
~*~ Upstairs, Buffy's fury over releasing Angelus had been tamed. Somewhere during the arguing, Giles had noticed the TV with the camera pointed at Angelus' cell. And he had noticed Spike and Genevieve there. Being the voice of reason and experience, not mention a rather powerful magic user with a mean right hook; he'd calmed the melee to watch the proceedings. "I can't believe what Spike's doing." Said Buffy. "Yeah. What is he doing?" asked Xander. "He's facing the bane of his existence. Angel has always been the shadow of Spike's life. Now he's facing him with pride, and getting information." Answered Willow. Everyone was rapt with attention. Andrew returned from the office with a three huge bowls of popcorn. "I made popcorn! Who wants some?" "I can't believe you made snacks to watch one of the most important events in this war!" Wesley was indignant. "And you didn't bring drinks either." Added Anya, taking a handful. Everyone started munching, and Wesley decided to take a few kernels. After all, he might not be able to eat for hours. ~*~  
  
"So, I'm just poet boy? And where did you get that idea?" "Maybe from the many ragged journals of poetry I always found hidden in your rooms. Each and everyone signed by William." Angel grinned. "Should I be ashamed? The poetry is as much a part of me as the killing." Angelus was surprised. That wasn't supposed to happen. Spike didn't have this much self-esteem or control. He lashed out. Had to be the damn soul. No other explanation. "Angel was always ashamed of the killing. Always the good little righteous boy, atoning for sins." "But you forget, grandsire, I'm not Angel. I'm Spike. I'm William the Bloody Awful Poet, or just Bloody. I've done my part of atonement. I've made peace with my past, and regret nothing. Hell, the soul I asked for. Thought it might make things better." "What things?" "Well, you see peaches, I fell in love with the Slayer. Problem is, she's got this thing bout souled vamps." Angelus sniggered. "William, the Slayer of Slayers, fell for a Slayer? What's that called? Irony? Or for you, maybe poetic justice." "Least I got to sleep with her." Angel's head whipped up, and he glared at Spike. "What was that?"  
  
~*~ "Wesley! Quit hogging all the popcorn!" ~*~  
  
"You heard me. I got to have some horizontal fun with Buffy. Come to think of it, some was vertical." Spike smiled. Perfect reaction. You could almost hear Angelus' teeth grind.  
  
Genevieve was proud of Spike. He'd figured out the sore spot on Angelus. She knew he had a thing for the Seer, but Buffy was still a player in his love life.  
  
"You got a soul, and she slept with you?" "No, no. No soul. I was quite soul-free when I had fun. Actually, she came to me. For comfort. For several months, several times a week, almost every day." "She came to you for.comfort?" "Yup." Angelus seethed. He didn't really care about the Slayer anymore, but still. The fact that Spike had gotten a piece of that action, frequently, was painful. "Good for you. Don't care." "Say that again Peaches. I didn't hear it over the vein throbbing in your neck." Angelus wasn't happy. This didn't bother him. Sure, Spike had gotten to sleep with someone Angel had gotten with once, and then avoided for fear of letting the demon out. And sure, Cordelia, the woman he was pretty sure he loved had slept with his son, after telling him she loved him. No, not bothered at all. Spike stepped back as Angelus let out a roar of anger. "Something you're not telling us mate? Didn't think Buffy meant all that much to you." "I think it has something to do with the Seer." Said Genevieve. "Who?" "Cordelia." "Oh."  
  
~*~ Upstairs, chaos had let out. "You slept with Spike!?" Wesley was furious. "One of the most dangerous vampires in existence?" "Watch it scone boy. She's not your Slayer." Giles was defending Buffy, as were the other Scoobies. "Is that why he helps her?" Kennedy was talking to Willow. All of the Potentials had descended on the witch for answers. They'd all noticed something between Buffy and Spike, but they hadn't really known about the sex. "How was he?" Cordelia was asking Buffy at the same time as Wesley. "I mean, so not my type, what with the vampire, and evil. But still.that body." "Oh, so Angel's your 'type,' and you think of this other vampire as attractive, but you can't even look at me now?" Connor had joined in. he didn't know this attractive blonde woman had been his father's girlfriend. Angel had all the luck. Just as a few of the Sunnydale crowd turned to look at Connor, confused as to why he would make such a comment, like a jealous lover, Hell really broke loose.  
  
~*~  
  
Angelus was really angry now. Spike had opened up healing wounds with his mention of Buffy, and now Genevieve seemed to know that Angel and Angelus had a thing for Cordelia. He couldn't take anymore. He started running about his cage, rattling bars and hitting the wall.  
  
"Do it, luv. Otherwise he'll hurt himself. And don't worry. He'll be back." Genevieve told Spike. "Are you sure he won't just kill everyone?" "There's always that chance, but I think he's too angry right now. And besides, we can stop him." "All right then." Spike used all his speed to race over and unlock the cage, throwing the door open. Angelus immediately took off like a shot, racing up the stairs, Genevieve and Spike behind him.  
  
~*~  
  
Buffy and company watched a blur of anger race out of the hotel doors, two slightly slower blurs behind it. Wesley looked at the fast disappearing shapes, then at the screen. "They let Angelus loose." Buffy was in shock. "He didn't even try to kill us." "I think he's a little angry." Said Xander. "I'm going after him." "Connor, I think those two can handle Angelus, stay here." Cordelia pleaded. "No, I'm going to find him, and kill him. He said if something went wrong, I'm supposed to kill him." Connor took off after the three vampires, somewhat slower than them. "Okay, so who is that guy?" Xander asked. "Connor, Angel's son." Fred supplied. "His what?" Buffy asked. Maybe it was safer in the Hellmouth. 


End file.
